# Risks with cigars?



## MrCalypso (Jun 7, 2013)

I have a question for those that have smoked purely cigars since they have been young. Have you had any problems with mouth cancer and health issues? I've recently been smoking 3-4 times a week but I am still barely legal. I want to make sure down the road I won't suffer from something bad. I don't inhale but a lot of people I know keep telling me its quite bad for me, what do you guys think? Thanks
Jay


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## stonecutter2 (Jul 12, 2012)

Any tobacco use is dangerous and has health risks. That said, if you want to see how risky behavior is, a good indicator is life insurance quotes. Punch numbers in for a non smoker and get rates. Then indicate cigar use, then cigarette use, then smokeless tobacco. You'll find the rates for cigar use cause a slight increase in cost. But not much.

If anyone knows much about health risks, it's people who insure your life.


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## Mad4Cigars (May 30, 2013)

Yeah there's no such thing as healthy cigar... But if your not inhaling - your risk is limited compared to cigarette smokers.
Also... A few stogies per week vs a few packs of cigarettes per DAY is quite a difference


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## rpkesterson (Apr 15, 2013)

MrCalypso said:


> I have a question for those that have smoked purely cigars since they have been young. Have you had any problems with mouth cancer and health issues? I've recently been smoking 3-4 times a week but I am still barely legal. I want to make sure down the road I won't suffer from something bad. I don't inhale but a lot of people I know keep telling me its quite bad for me, what do you guys think? Thanks
> Jay


I used to smoke cigarettes when I was younger. I smoked for 17 years and gave it up in 1986. Now everyone knows that smoking cigarettes is bad for you and they always say that even second hand smoke kills. I don't know that to be true. But I'm 62 years old now and I'm not in the best of health. Nothing that smoking cigars is going to make worse. So, I'm not really worried about it that much. I believe I will die long before the smoke will catch up to me. But if you're very young, you may want to be a little bit skeptical. I know everyone is going to hate me for saying all this, but if second hand cigarette smoke is bad for you, cigar smoke can't be any better. But I don't smoke 3 to 4 a week. I'm smoking 3 to 4 a day. And I'm not sure anymore that I'd want to live as much longer than I could if I couldn't smoke my stogies. I love it and believe it is well worth the risk. (Hope I dug myself out of the hole with that one. ) Enjoy them while you can. But watch out, they're damned expensive. 

Oh, and as others have just mentioned before I hit enter, everything has risks. Keep in mind that George Burns died close to if not at 100 years old and he smoked cigars in a big way. You could be safe and not smoke. You could also be hit by a truck tomorrow. Live your life!!!


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## jakecartier3 (May 16, 2010)

While cigars aren't good for you, outside of a relaxation standpoint, they certainly aren't all that bad for you. Think of all the toxins that go into your body on a daily basis--chemicals from food, polluted air, gasoline fumes, etc. Smoking a few cigars doesn't really make that much of a difference in the amount of 'bad' things entering your body. I read about this a lot when I started smoking cigars and most evidence indicates non-existant to minimal health effects from prolonged cigar usage. The most reassuring thing for me is the fact that I have an uncle who has been a doctor for 30 years and absolutely abhors cigarettes because of their effects on his patients' health. However, he has a stocked humidor and smokes regularly. That's really all the assurance I need!


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## Multislacking (Jun 6, 2013)

Being an ex cigarette smoker, I was a little concerned about the health risk of cigars. I did a little research and was actually surprised that two or less cigars daily had almost no effect whatsoever on cancer rates. In fact, the lung cancer rate was less than non smokers! For non smokers, the baseline was 1.0 and the lung cancer rate for two cigars a day was .99 -- not a big difference, but an interesting number. The biggest risk I saw was oral/throat cancers for 5+ cigars daily. And then the number was like 1.15 as I recall. The 10+ cigars a day had some pretty bad numbers--basically along the lines of a 2-3 pack a day smoker. Like most things, if you overdo it, it will have negative consequences...you can kill yourself by drinking too much water. Personally, I'm pretty sure it will be the cheeseburgers that kill me.

Of course, everyone is different. John Wayne smoked cigarettes until he got lung cancer, had surgery, and then switched over to cigars. 

Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, but I do give free unqualified medical advice on internet forums.


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

MrCalypso said:


> I have a question for those that have smoked purely cigars since they have been young. Have you had any problems with mouth cancer and health issues? I've recently been smoking 3-4 times a week but I am still barely legal. I want to make sure down the road I won't suffer from something bad. I don't inhale but a lot of people I know keep telling me its quite bad for me, what do you guys think? Thanks
> Jay


Great question and like many subjects you will get many different opinions. No smoking is without some risks, but cigar smoking is the lesser of the evils. George Burns smoked many cigars on a daily basis and lived to be 100 years old.
Bottom line we all gotta die from something. Life is for the living so enjoy it IMHO!


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## jhedrick83 (Dec 4, 2012)

My thoughts are that my life is so stressful, if I didn't take a day or two each week to make myself sit back, have a good quality cigar and a nice drink, the stress would give me a heart attack/stroke before the potential ills of cigar smoking would get me.


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## nfusion770 (Apr 1, 2011)

We live in a world where everything will eventually kill you. You should take solace in having some autonomy in the matter.


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## DarrelMorris (Feb 7, 2012)

I looked into this when I first started getting into cigars. I found a lot of conflicting information but I remember that one of the most unbiased studies that I found concluded that there was no significant risk involved in one cigar per day.
There are also studies that conflict with the whole "second hand smoke" issue. There is evidence that that whole thing was exaggerated by the anti tobacco lobby and the EPA. There was even a 30 year study using the nonsmoking spouses of smokers. They couldn't prove that there were any medical problems directly attributable to second hand smoke. Of course this is in direct conflict with everything that we've been told all of our lives so you should do your own research. 
We all understand and accept that cigarette smoking is bad. For everything else you will need to look beyond the politics and emotions and decide for yourself.


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## Smoke0ne (Feb 2, 2012)

As others have stated, smoking less than 2 cigars a day has very negligible health effects. My grandfather smokes roughly 1-3 cigars a day and has done so since he was in his 20's. He is now 78 and couldn't be in much better shape for his age. The ability a single cigar has to reduce stress is probably more beneficial then the negative health risks. My father is a lung surgeon, partakes in the occasional cigar and doesn't bat an eyelash at my hobby and my frequency of smoking (roughly 3 cigars a week).


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## madbricky (Mar 29, 2013)

My only concern with cigars is the use of fertilizers and insect control....if, what, and what gets smoked. As I have no information ignorance its bliss and the time spent relaxing with a smoke and hot beverage does wonders to alleviate the pain from my disability.
Less pain= lower blood pressure and stress. :ss:


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## Bruck (Jan 8, 2013)

Good advice below. The only thing I would add is, look at health holistically, i.e., don't just look at individual risk factors in a vacuum. Cigar smoking is a risk, but not a big one. There are other much bigger risks that more people are exposed to, like all the chemicals and crap that's in processed food, a high-carb diet, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, cutting me off in traffic, etc. The other side of it is, get exercise daily, eat nutritious, non-processed food, (judiciously) take vitamin and mineral supplements, avoid excess stress, don't drive near me, and then don't worry - when your number's up, your number's up.


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## Wicked_Rhube (Jul 29, 2012)

The only significant risk I've noticed so far is total financial ruin. Everything in moderation I suppose....


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## bore_is (Mar 28, 2012)

jhedrick83 said:


> My thoughts are that my life is so stressful, if I didn't take a day or two each week to make myself sit back, have a good quality cigar and a nice drink, the stress would give me a heart attack/stroke before the potential ills of cigar smoking would get me.


i couldnt have said it any better myself


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## BurnOne (Feb 26, 2012)

I wondered the same thing when i started out, i'm sure a lot of us did. I found out a few things.
First thing i found out was that i was going to smoke cigars regardless of what i found. If i didn't truly enjoy my cigars that would probably not be the case. 

Other than that i seem to remember something about the way the tobacco is treated for cigarettes makes them a smoke based nicotine (and all that other stuff) delivery system. Fine cigars are treated differently and carries less through smoke but 
is much better at delivering through the mouth to leaf contact you get with a cigar. While i am aware of the dangers I don't feel particularly At risk since i stopped eating my nubs and driving near Bruce.


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## orca99usa (May 23, 2008)

I hear all the time about the risks of smoking. My mother was a chain cigarette smoker, and she died of cancer at age 57. Then again, George Burns smoked cigars all of his adult life and he lived to be 100; ditto my grandfather, who was never very far away from his pipe. Neither of them died from cancer.


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## Jordan23 (May 25, 2012)

nfusion770 said:


> We live in a world where everything will eventually kill you. You should take solace in having some autonomy in the matter.


 This



jhedrick83 said:


> My thoughts are that my life is so stressful, if I didn't take a day or two each week to make myself sit back, have a good quality cigar and a nice drink, the stress would give me a heart attack/stroke before the potential ills of cigar smoking would get me.


And this.

Cigars are not healthy for you. But neither is the pizza I just had. But they both are enjoyable and enhance my life when used in moderation. My doc is fine with 2 gars a week. I average anywhere from none to four a week and I'm comfortable with that. They may kill me, I may live to be 90, I may die next week in my sleep. I just try to be reasonable (more veggies than pizza) and enjoy life.


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## RJ-Harder (Apr 23, 2013)

MrCalypso said:


> I have a question for those that have smoked purely cigars since they have been young. Have you had any problems with mouth cancer and health issues? I've recently been smoking 3-4 times a week but I am still barely legal. I want to make sure down the road I won't suffer from something bad. I don't inhale but a lot of people I know keep telling me its quite bad for me, what do you guys think? Thanks
> Jay


Hi Jay, and welcome to Puff.

I'm in the same boat as you in some ways as I'm also a fairly young cigar smoker (I'm turning 26 next Sunday...obviously older than you, but we're both quite a bit younger than most cigar smokers). If I were 65 or 75 years old I'd be a little less concerned about the health effects of my hobby. A lot of people will rationalize cigars through saying "Well look at all the other chemicals and what not that we take in on a daily basis." While that's true, it doesn't mitigate the dangers of tobacco, which are nothing to sneeze at.

If there's one thing I've learned as I've become an adult, it's that life is about moderation. Water will kill you if you have too much of it at once (very rare, but still possible). You have to look at your life and decide what you value and what it is worth in regards to your health. Maybe when you're 21 you'll want to go out to the bar and get drunk. A lot of people have some really good times when they are drinking, myself included. But a person who values their mental and physical health will look at each of their actions in balance. I know that every time I go out and get drunk, I am poisoning myself intentionally. I know that if I make a habit of drinking heavily it may effect my intelligence in the long run. It will also effect my waistline and my health, and it will take away quite a bit of money that I could have used on other things I may or may not value more than a night out. I consider these things when I make the choice to drink or not drink.

Maybe that seems a little off-topic, but since I'm a fairly new cigar smoker I use drinking as a benchmark to help me moderate my cigar smoking. I think of one cigar as having the overall negative effects of 3 beers or 3 small glasses of wine. I did not base this off any research...this is just the benchmark I use as a personal estimation. I know that this estimation is much stricter than a lot of my fellow B/SOTL, but it is the one I have chosen. So, when I am making the choice to smoke or not smoke, I think of it like this: "Would I be willing to drink 3 beers over a 2 hour period right now?" There are a few factors that I'll consider. 1) Do I have other work I should be doing that will be neglected for these 3 beers? 2) Can I rationalize spending the money on 3 beers right now? 3) Is it an appropriate time and place to drink 3 beers? If I can answer these questions honestly to myself, it means I have decided it is an appropriate time to smoke a cigar (again, I use the 3 beer analogy because I have a longer history with moderation in drinking than I do with moderation in smoking, so it helps me put cigar smoking into context). If my 5 year old daughter is outside with me while I'm smoking a cigar, and I want another one...I'll say to myself "Would I drink 3 beers in front of her in a 2 hour period?....yes I think that is ok. Would I drink 6 beers in a 2-4 hour period in front of her?...No" so I would decide not to smoke another cigar. Again, I'm not passing judgement on anyone who deals with their cigar smoking differently...I'm just outlining how I make my decisions.

Lastly, it's really important to me that if I make a decision to do something unhealthy like drink, smoke cigars, or eat gluttonously, that I am doing it because I value that thing more than the negative consequences it will bring into my life and my family. I try to fit these decisions into an overall health plan for my life. It's ok to eat candy, but not to the point of malnutrition.

Now, if there is some other factor that is forcing me to make a decision I don't want to make, that is not good. This is where nicotine comes in. An addiction to nicotine takes some of the decision making out of your hands and makes that next cigarette or chew or cigar a necessity rather than a well-considered decision. I monitor my cigar cravings quite strictly. I currently smoke one large cigar per week (much less than most people here I think) and I do not notice any major physical or psychological cravings, aside from the desire to relax outside in the sun. This is because much less nicotine is absorbed through the mouth than through the lungs. Nonetheless, I think it's important to keep an eye on cravings and to be cognizant of them. If you're smoking cigars, it should be because you value the experience enough to make it worth it in moderation - NOT because you need it, or it's been a while, or any other rationalization. I think this is particularly true for young people like us who will have to live with an addiction and its health effects for a long time if we let it get out of hand.

I realize I've given an extraordinarily long answer to a short question, and I apologize for being so verbose. But I've struggled with the same thing as you. I know cigars are not healthy, but I try to fit the enjoyment of a cigar into a healthy lifestyle. It's an especially important issue for me because I want to teach my daughter the value of moderation. I want to teach her how to make healthy decisions in an unhealthy world, and if I'm going to teach it to her it means I'll need to master it myself.

Anyway, that's my $0.02.


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## bluesman.54 (Apr 13, 2013)

The fact is -- none of us are going to make it out of here alive. I had double by-pass surgery four years ago. My pipes and cigars are enjoyable -- and they greatly reduce my stress -- which caused my four heart attacks. While there seem to be an infinite number of possibilities -- none of us know what will eventually kill us. I work as a chaplain in a hospital and deal with people dying everyday. And they all say the same thing -- no matter how old they are -- Life is short. So my advice -- which is worth everything you paid for it -- is enjoy the ride while it lasts and when it stops -- it stops.


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## Tobias Lutz (Feb 18, 2013)

I was 12 years old when I watched my step-father (a two-pack a day smoker) pass away from esophageal cancer after a very miserable 2 year ordeal. I then proceeded to smoke cigarettes for almost 15 years. I neither consider myself naive to the horrors of cancer cause by tobacco use, nor foolish enough to consider my pipes and cigars a health food. I do know that I am in much better physical shape than I ever was as a cigarette smoker. I ran my first 24 hr trail race last fall and actually placed second running over 100 miles. I enjoy the relaxation of my hobby and weigh the benefits against the risks. I also never rule out the possibility that later in life I might change my position and put the pipes and cigars up. For now I do what my conscience allows me, as a husband and soon to be father of two, to do without feeling overly selfish.


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## RJ-Harder (Apr 23, 2013)

Tobias Lutz said:


> I was 12 years old when I watched my step-father (a two-pack a day smoker) pass away from esophageal cancer after a very miserable 2 year ordeal. I then proceeded to smoke cigarettes for almost 15 years. I neither consider myself naive to the horrors of cancer cause by tobacco use, nor foolish enough to consider my pipes and cigars a health food. I do know that I am in much better physical shape than I ever was as a cigarette smoker. I ran my first 24 hr trail race last fall and actually placed second running over 100 miles. I enjoy the relaxation of my hobby and weigh the benefits against the risks. I also never rule out the possibility that later in life I might change my position and put the pipes and cigars up. For now I do what my conscience allows me, as a husband and soon to be father of two, to do without feeling overly selfish.


Wow...congrats! For the upcoming child and the race. 100 miles...sheesh. I'd be lucky to run 5% of that.


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## Fuzzface (Nov 17, 2010)

I exercise 4-6 days a week and i'm in construction.. I use my body a lot, my diet isn't great with pizza, burgers and stuff but I burn it all off at least, slowly by surely i am eliminating junk food like cookies, ice cream and the like.. I only have them on special occasions.. I NEVER crave sweets..

Groucho Marx, Churchhill, Burns, Twain, Castro, Red Auerbach... just to name a few all lived long lives and smoked cigars.


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## f4milytime (May 15, 2013)

bluesman.54 said:


> The fact is -- none of us are going to make it out of here alive. I had double by-pass surgery four years ago. My pipes and cigars are enjoyable -- and they greatly reduce my stress -- which caused my four heart attacks. While there seem to be an infinite number of possibilities -- none of us know what will eventually kill us. I work as a chaplain in a hospital and deal with people dying everyday. And they all say the same thing -- no matter how old they are -- Life is short. So my advice -- which is worth everything you paid for it -- is enjoy the ride while it lasts and when it stops -- it stops.


Extremely well said !! :amen:


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## Mante (Dec 25, 2009)

The only risk that concerns me is there is always the possibility that I may enjoy myself due to cigars. I know, I know, I'm supposed to thrive in this fast paced, stressful existence & be ashamed of this disgusting pastime according to those in the media. Just call me a rebel (without a clue). :madgrin:


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## asmartbull (Aug 16, 2009)

If I was concerned about the health risk of a certain activity, the last place I would look for
advise would be a site that promotes such activities......I would look to site opposed to
the activity and get both sides then decide for myself.......


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## nfusion770 (Apr 1, 2011)

asmartbull said:


> If I was concerned about the health risk of a certain activity, the last place I would look for
> advise would be a site that promotes such activities......I would look to site opposed to
> the activity and get both sides then decide for myself.......


That's a great point. However, a place like this might be on of the only places to get an opposing point of view these days. Maybe its best to weight the consensus here at 25%, the opinion of the smoking nazi's 25%, and the reality of what you want to do and are going to do anyway at 50%.


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

nfusion770 said:


> That's a great point. However, a place like this might be on of the only places to get an opposing point of view these days. Maybe its best to weight the consensus here at 25%, the opinion of the smoking nazi's 25%, and the reality of what you want to do and are going to do anyway at 50%.


I dunno i personally can't see how anyone can worry about the risks of something and enjoy it. But then again i am one of those who sees a straight stretch of road and pins the speedometer. Not every day mind you but probably more than most 53 year old's.


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## bluesman.54 (Apr 13, 2013)

That is actually pretty sound advice. In the end we all decide for ourselves the actions we will take one way or another. Information is good -- but we all tend to view it through our own personal lenses -- that is what we persoanally desire and most of the time wind up doing what we want. We just want to be justified in our opinions and actions. There is a real difference in truly researching something objectively -- and researching something subjectively to find facts to support our desires.

And imagime my joy in observing the fact that your beng a Vikings fan has not diminished your math skills in any way!



nfusion770 said:


> That's a great point. However, a place like this might be on of the only places to get an opposing point of view these days. Maybe its best to weight the consensus here at 25%, the opinion of the smoking nazi's 25%, and the reality of what you want to do and are going to do anyway at 50%.


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## Jordan23 (May 25, 2012)

Some great posts in this thread.


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## Ruben_Ayala (Jun 9, 2013)

BRAVO!! Well said RJ



RJ-Harder said:


> Hi Jay, and welcome to Puff.
> 
> I'm in the same boat as you in some ways as I'm also a fairly young cigar smoker (I'm turning 26 next Sunday...obviously older than you, but we're both quite a bit younger than most cigar smokers). If I were 65 or 75 years old I'd be a little less concerned about the health effects of my hobby. A lot of people will rationalize cigars through saying "Well look at all the other chemicals and what not that we take in on a daily basis." While that's true, it doesn't mitigate the dangers of tobacco, which are nothing to sneeze at.
> 
> ...


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## nfusion770 (Apr 1, 2011)

bluesman.54 said:


> That is actually pretty sound advice. In the end we all decide for ourselves the actions we will take one way or another. Information is good -- but we all tend to view it through our own personal lenses -- that is what we persoanally desire and most of the time wind up doing what we want. We just want to be justified in our opinions and actions. There is a real difference in truly researching something objectively -- and researching something subjectively to find facts to support our desires.
> 
> And imagime my joy in observing the fact that your beng a Vikings fan has not diminished your math skills in any way!


Thanks Michael. Actually I'm pretty good in math. I know that 49-262 and 2TDs is an outstanding 2 game stretch for a HB. The one I can't wrap my mind around is this one: there are two division teams with identical records traveling at the same speed. One leave Minneapolis and makes the playoffs. One stays in Chicago and spends January in their living room by the fire. Maybe you could help me out. :smoke:


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## DarrelMorris (Feb 7, 2012)

asmartbull said:


> If I was concerned about the health risk of a certain activity, the last place I would look for
> advise would be a site that promotes such activities......I would look to site opposed to
> the activity and get both sides then decide for myself.......


This would normally be good advice. The only problem is that in this case the opposing group is so opposed to tobacco that it is willing to twist and manipulate data and just plain make things up. It seems to feel that it's OK because it's for our own good and we aren't intelligent enough to make decisions for ourselves.


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## GnarlyEggs (May 29, 2013)

I am also a young smoker.. I really need to quit smoking cigarettes. I will be fine with having a few cigars a week if I do not smoke any other cigarettes!


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## MaduroLover (Jun 8, 2013)

This is interesting! Looks like quite a few people actually considered this factor as they made the plunge.

I also did some research and found the same stats as most concerning the 1 or 2 a day cigar smoker.

However ... I firmly believe genetics plays a vital role. If you have cancer in the family then you are more predisposed to it yourself.


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## bluesman.54 (Apr 13, 2013)

OUCH!! I feel the burn.......Good One!



nfusion770 said:


> Thanks Michael. Actually I'm pretty good in math. I know that 49-262 and 2TDs is an outstanding 2 game stretch for a HB. The one I can't wrap my mind around is this one: there are two division teams with identical records traveling at the same speed. One leave Minneapolis and makes the playoffs. One stays in Chicago and spends January in their living room by the fire. Maybe you could help me out. :smoke:


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## steinr1 (Oct 22, 2010)

asmartbull said:


> If I was concerned about the health risk of a certain activity, the last place I would look for
> advise would be a site that promotes such activities......I would look to site opposed to
> the activity and get both sides then decide for myself.......


I can't praise this post highly enough.

We are all smokers here. We've all made our decision to smoke based on whatever criteria we chose to consider and value. And we came out in favour of smoking. We're biased. You won't find the opinion of anyone who carefully considered things and came out against smoking here.

Much of the information you will find will be presented in a biased fashion to some degree in one direction or the other. You need to be able to carefully consider the information available and come to a decision that you can live with whatever happens. It's not easy. That's why we only allow adults to make such decisions.

One thing though. PLEASE don't be persuaded by statements along the lines of "XXXXX smoked all his/her life and lived to a ripe old age." You are dealing with probability here. Smoke and you will be rolling a set of dice which are loaded against you to some degree. That's undeniable fact. It's YOUR job to consider the degree of loading and how you rate that risk. You may roll the dice indefinitely and win every time. You may crap out on your first throw.

Over to you...


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## Emperor Zurg (May 6, 2013)

Wicked_Rhube said:


> The only significant risk I've noticed so far is total financial ruin. Everything in moderation I suppose....


+1


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## marc in nola (Apr 8, 2013)

Here's an article on our oldest living veteran - 107 years old - and he smokes up to 12 cigars a day. I think 12 cigars a day would do me in within the next couple months lol

Richard Arvine Overton, 107, oldest living veteran, will enjoy cigar and whiskey on Memorial Day


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## f4milytime (May 15, 2013)

IMHO It is what it is, Like anything else if your not willing to accept the consequences, than you shouldn't do it !! ALOHA !!


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## drake998 (Jun 10, 2013)

I am just starting out with the hobby, and I did a fair amount of research into the health effects. Basically, my conclusion was that as long as I dont inhale my sticks like they were cigarettes, with my habits there aren't any statistically significant increased exposures to any health effects. But that being said, even if there were, we all have to go from something. Is it unhealthy? Sure. Is it going to stop me? No chance.

Just my thoughts.


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## Gdaddy (Sep 20, 2012)

I believe there are two completely different categories between smokers and associated risks. 

Cigarettes are habit...cigars are a treat to be enjoyed.

A cigar smoker who smokes one cigar a day a couple times a week should not be viewed the same as one who puts tar and chemicals from a cigarette deep in their lungs all day long everyday all week long.

Cigar smoking is more like "smoke tasting" vs. "smoke breathing". Completely different. Taken in moderation I don't believe cigars are as harmful. This would limit any risk of cancer to the oral cavity. (This is one reason I don't retrohale that frequently.)

Taken in moderation I don't believe cigars put you at a high risk. 

Playing football when I was younger has done FAR more harm to my body than any other thing I've done in my life. Nobody worries or talks about those related health risks.


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## Damselnotindistress (Aug 7, 2011)

:smow: No.1; EVERYTHING is gonna kill ya: Food. Fun. Booze. Sex. Sports. Games. Pets...ad infinitum. 'Wanna die living and having fun - or live practically dead? Might as well be gone!
:nono: No. 2; Our cigars are a natural product made of sun and time; NOT fertilizers, chemicals, etc. that is deliberately infused in cigarette tobacco. I don't mean from the soil the leaf grows in...I mean deliberately added, flavored cigar-style, into the finished cigarette which makes it MORE addicting, and on purpose by the cigarette mfg. company heads.
:hail: No.3; Not only Richard Arvine Overton whom Marc pointed out (and still living), but Milton Berle (d.84?), Zino Davidoff (d.87), the incomperable George Burns (d. 100 YEARS OLD, Bless him), Sigmund Freud (d.83), Sir Winston Churchill (d.91) and probably too many others to count who were ravenous, incessant cigars smokers and survived into their late 80's to past 90 and 100. Need we say more? I'm standing in that L-O-O-O-N-N-G line of BOTLS AND SOTLS! :tu


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## steinr1 (Oct 22, 2010)

I wanted to avoid posting again here, but this one needs response. It repeats the wisdom that has been posted elsewhere, and manages to hit all of them at once. Please don't feel singled out.



Damselnotindistress said:


> :smow: No.1; EVERYTHING is gonna kill ya: Food. Fun. Booze. Sex. Sports. Games. Pets...ad infinitum. 'Wanna die living and having fun - or live practically dead? Might as well be gone!
> :nono:


As does hitting yourself repeatedly over the head with a heavy hammer. But you might want to avoid that one. You can also avoid smoking *if you choose*.



> No. 2; Our cigars are a natural product made of sun and time; NOT fertilizers, chemicals, etc. that is deliberately infused in cigarette tobacco. I don't mean from the soil the leaf grows in...I mean deliberately added, flavored cigar-style, into the finished cigarette which makes it MORE addicting, and on purpose by the cigarette mfg. company heads.
> :hail:


Lots of "natural" things are addictive and will kill you. Probably best to avoid eating Deadly Nightshade berries. "Just made of sun and time". Very natural, very poisonous. ALL tobacco contains more chemicals than you think and even more when burnt. There is nothing "natural" about smoking. It is a human habit. The idea that if you avoid cigarettes and then you will be safe because cigar and pipe tobacco manufacturers are nice guys is deluding yourself. I like to go around with my eyes as open as possible.



> No.3; Not only Richard Arvine Overton whom Marc pointed out (and still living), but Milton Berle (d.84?), Zino Davidoff (d.87), the incomperable George Burns (d. 100 YEARS OLD, Bless him), Sigmund Freud (d.83), Sir Winston Churchill (d.91) and probably too many others to count who were ravenous, incessant cigars smokers and survived into their late 80's to past 90 and 100. Need we say more? I'm standing in that L-O-O-O-N-N-G line of BOTLS AND SOTLS! :tu


And if I cited the all too many examples of people who die in their 30s or earlier of smoking related disease (not many - the odds are still low at that age range, but not zero), would that change anything? Probabilities just don't work this way. You can predict how many people will die in a particular age band, but you can't say who. You may be lucky, you may be very unlucky. Just because someone won the lottery doesn't make it a certainty that you will.

I smoke. I am "comfortable" with the possible consequences given the probability involved. But PLEASE - anyone who wants to take this plunge, understand the facts and assess those for yourself. Take advice from all sides. AS has been said, this really isn't the place to get unbiased advice. All "facts" need to be taken with a healthy pinch of salt to assess the motives of those giving it. I suspect that many posting here are simply trying to justify a decision they have already made.


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## TopsiderLXI (Jun 29, 2012)

For those who don't inhale and smoke 1–2 cigars per day, the risk of dying from all causes is statistically insignificant when compared to non-smokers and greatly reduced compared to heavy cigar smokers. The health risks of the 3/4 of cigar smokers who smoke less than daily are not established, and are hard to measure.

Got that from Wikipedia. The sources are noted after each claim with links to the health article.

I have no fear of contracting any sort of cancer/illness/early death from having a few cigars each week. I think a lot of that is hyped anyways. Just look at kids who get leukemia at 3 months old without either parent smoking. Wonder how much tobacco they had in the womb?


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## Just1ce (Dec 9, 2011)

Great question and great thread. I'm relatively young at 32 and have been smoking for a few years and have wondered the same things myself. My grandfather died of emphysema in his late 60s to early 70s (I don't remember exactly how old he was) but he had ben a 2-4 pack a day cigarette smoker since the age of 12 (he probably didn't smoke that many when he was twelve but you get the drift). That being said, I was a cigarette smoker as a younger man and decided to quit shortly before I met my wife. I picked up cigars several years later as my brother is in the industry.

All of the research I have read into shows that there is some increased risk of mouth/throat cancer with cigar smoking, but the real scientific studies to show the effects of cigars are REALLY thinned out. Almost ALL of the good studies on tobacco use focus on cigarettes. The conclusions of these studies show that cigarette smoke is very harmful to your body (have you ever seen a list of the things the cigarette companies add in to their cigarettes? Cyanide is one of them as well as rocket fuel), and then always as a sideline pipe tobacco/cigars get thrown in there though there is little scientifically obtained evidence in existence that looks at pipe/cigar smoking specifically.

I'm certainly not trying to say that there are no risks, but the risks are not as great as the Surgeon General would have you believe. Just to add some perspective, the FDA that says our cigars are so very bad for you have also said that the genetically modified foods that we eat, the hormones we give our livestock, and the pesticides that we use on our food have no ill effects on our health. A little research into this topic will show that to likely be false. That is my personal bout of skepticism for the day.

Ultimately this is your decision, but my glass half-empty take on this subject is that there are few things in our society that are trustworthy and I will partake in those things that improve my quality of life as I have no interest in increasing the length of my life (I don't think I'm allowed to talk about why that is ).


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## steinr1 (Oct 22, 2010)

Just1ce said:


> ...I have no interest in increasing the length of my life (I don't think I'm allowed to talk about why that is ).


Do I detect the need for this hoary old chestnut?

Why do *<insert ethnic stereotype>* men die before their wives?

Because they _want_ to.


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## carpentrylai (Oct 12, 2011)

I do not think the second hand smoke is very good for you. I try to limit the amount of time spent in a BM.

I prefer to smoke outside where there is a lot of air.

I do not notice any issues with my cardio workouts. Heart is probably stronger today than 10 years ago because of trail running and cardio work outs. I smoke 2 to 3 a day.

A friend who smokes 4 cigars a day is a ultra marathoner and he runs around 70-100 miles a week while training. He always smokes a cigar before and after his 30-40 mile run.


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## Suzza (Mar 18, 2010)

Life is a gamble and you're just as likely to die from some random illness or accident as you are from cigar smoking. So enjoy the time you have.


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## Damselnotindistress (Aug 7, 2011)

TopsiderLXI said:


> For those who don't inhale and smoke 1-2 cigars per day, the risk of dying from all causes is statistically insignificant when compared to non-smokers and greatly reduced compared to heavy cigar smokers. The health risks of the 3/4 of cigar smokers who smoke less than daily are not established, and are hard to measure.
> 
> Got that from Wikipedia. The sources are noted after each claim with links to the health article.
> 
> I have no fear of contracting any sort of cancer/illness/early death from having a few cigars each week. I think a lot of that is hyped anyways. Just look at kids who get leukemia at 3 months old without either parent smoking. Wonder how much tobacco they had in the womb?


*Thank you


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## Nick1233 (May 17, 2013)

I'm also a younger smoker and I am not worried about the minuscule health risks associated with cigar smoking. I also shoot guns, work on and race cars, and do bodywork, so I'm not too concerned about the occasional cigar. I'm sure I inhale more toxic or harmful chemicals in an average day than I would get from smoke. I'm also a fan of the "live life like there's no tomorrow" way of thinking. I'd rather go out doing something I enjoy than go around worrying about the potential health risks and then crash my car.


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## Emperor Zurg (May 6, 2013)

Just1ce said:


> I have no interest in increasing the length of my life (I don't think I'm allowed to talk about why that is ).


Married men don't REALLY live longer than single men...

... it just SEEMS longer!


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## Beeman (Apr 12, 2013)

Personally I think of it as obviously not being good for my health, but not too bad either. I agree with something said above, that alot of the studies are mainly cigarettes. I think one of the big things is that the government is trying to keep kids away from the machine made, flavored "cigars". I look at it alot like eating junk food.


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